Bad Moon Rising
by vylentcrymz
Summary: [DeanJo] Dealing with the aftermath of Born Under a Bad Sign, Jo goes home to visit Ellen and ends up with a very hairy new case.
1. Chapter 1

**Notes:** This is my first ever Supernatural fic so any constructive criticism would be appreciated. Originally this was going to be a one-off, but it's somehow morphed itself into a five part fic. Hopefully the next part will be up soon.

---

Jo was breaking a promise, a big promise, as her palm touched the door of the roadhouse.

She hadn't been here in weeks and she'd promised she wouldn't come back. Her mom would know she wasn't dead if she sent a postcard every now and again, and Jo would be free to learn how to hunt. She would save people so no more people would lose their parents, their siblings or their lovers.

She'd been driving to clear her head when she'd found herself parked outside. It was weird how she couldn't remember a moment of the journey and yet her body had automatically taken her home and she wasn't sure why.

After everything that'd happened; hunting alone, being alone, being tortured and nearly raped and killed by Sam, maybe going home to see her mom didn't seem like such a bad thing after all. She couldn't count how many showers she'd taken as soon as Dean had left; red, raw marks were still visible along her legs and hips where she'd felt him pressing against her and needed to scrub away the memory.

The roadhouse was completely empty as she walked in. Business always got a little light around this time of year; she'd never really figured out why, so she slid into a seat at the bar and waited for her mom or Ash to appear. Ellen appeared a few moments later and Jo felt her chest tighten at how tired she looked.

Their eyes met, Ellen's widening slightly, and Jo offered a half smile. "Hey, mom."

"You're home?"

"Just visiting," Jo said quietly, not enjoying the expression that settled on her mother's face. "I guess I missed you."

Ellen raised an eyebrow. "Well, imagine that."

"Don't."

"I'm not gonna make a big deal out of it, Jo. Can't a mother be glad to see her kid?" Ellen walked behind the bar, fussing around for a moment before placing a beer in front of her daughter. "On the house."

"Are you serious?" Jo eyed it warily before taking a swig, wincing only a little at the bitterness. She may have been raised in a bar, but she hadn't gotten used to beer yet. "You're being too _nice_. I was expecting another argument and more reasons why I can't do this."

"I'm gonna cut a deal with you," her mother responded casually, making her stomach drop.

"Oh god."

"Don't take that tone with me, it's a damn good deal and you're gonna like it. Drink up."

Jo swallowed half the bottle to prepare herself, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Tell me."

"I'll let you hunt," she started slowly, cleaning along the bar with a rag, "but only for nine months."

"Nine months?"

Ellen nodded, looking up at her daughter with soft eyes. "I carried you for nine months, Jo. For nine months we were inseparable, so I owe you nine months of independence. But after that it's back to school."

"I've already made my decision and there is nothing you can do about it. I'm a hunter."

"No," Ellen told her firmly. She cupped her daughter's cheek, forcing her head to be still so they could make eye contact. "You're my baby girl, and I will die before I see you get hurt. There is nothing in this world that means as much to me as your safety and your health does."

Jo closed her eyes, feeling anger and guilt pouring through her body in equal measures. "Nine months."

Ellen pulled her into a quick hug and went back to her task of cleaning the bar, relief evident in her face. "He would've wanted it this way."

She wordlessly downed the rest of her beer and placed the empty bottle in front of her. The label was beginning to peel and she ran her thumb along the corner, pushing it away and feeling the stickiness against her skin.

"You feel like clearing up some of these bottles?" Ellen looked at her silent daughter and found a glare returning her way, the familiar sight lifting her lips into a smirk. "Didn't think so. Want another drink?"

"Am I paying for this one?"

Ellen laughed. "You bet your ass you are, little lady. You've got twenty-one years to pay me for, might as well start now."

Jo grudgingly put some money on the table and was handed a bottle, her fingers wrapping around the neck as the door to the roadhouse opened. All she had to do was look at her mother's face to know who it was and she felt herself tensing automatically.

"How goes it, boys?"

"It's business as usual," a familiar voice responded. _The_ voice. She could still hear it singing her father's death to her, the memory so vivid she barely wanted to turn her head.

But she turned in her seat anyway, smirking at the looks of surprise on their faces as they recognised her. "Hey."

Dean recovered quickly, offering her a smirk back. "Thought you were trying that whole rebelling thing. You know, staying _away_ from your mom?"

"I missed Ash," she shot back, eyeing Sam. He was being quiet, so quiet she guessed that he remembered everything. It physically hurt to look at him but she couldn't let what had happened make her hate Sam when it hadn't been him. "Hey, Sam."

He smiled, surprised at the attention. "You okay?"

"I will be," she lied easily. "You?"

"I will be."

They exchanged small smiles and Ellen, who'd noticed the exchange but didn't say anything, slammed down two beers onto the bar. "You boys on a case?"

"Yeah." Sam held up a manila file. "Is Ash out back? We need to track down a couple of guys."

"You wanna be careful," Ellen told him, coming around from behind the bar. "He ain't been outta his room in a couple of days, and that usually means he ain't wearing pants."

Both boys made a face and Jo hid her smile behind her beer, earning a wink from her mother. Dean sat next to her and took one of the beers while Sam walked towards the back of the bar, her eyes leaving his back when it was no longer in sight.

"You get homesick?" Dean asked, taking a swig from his beer. Automatically her eyes began to drift towards his lips and she tore her gaze away, annoyed.

"No. I needed help on a case."

It was an outright lie, one that made Ellen pause, but she didn't want him to know the truth; she was weak. Ellen carried on walking but her hand brushed Jo's shoulder and Jo appreciated it. She and Ellen hadn't always seen eye to eye, but on the rare occasion her mother was strangely understanding.

Dean looked at her, curious. "You're really serious about this whole hunting thing?"

"Why, you think I can't do it?" She shot him a challenging look, daring him to list a couple of reasons so she could fight him, but he just shook his head and looked down at his beer.

"You talk tough," he said after a few moments. "But when it comes down to it you're just not strong enough."

Ellen joined the conversation, nodding. "He's right, Jo."

She rolled her eyes. "Mom, I've already heard your argument a thousand times."

"And you'll hear it again just as often until the day I die," she said fiercely, claiming her daughter's half drunk beer bottle and smirking at her cry of indignation. "You gotta drive; I'm not letting you have anymore."

"Mom!"

"It ain't just the demons you gotta worry about, girl. It's that damn old car of yours. It's so rusted over, you can't tell what colour it's supposed to be!"

Dean grinned, looking over at Jo. "That beast is yours?"

"Hey, my beast's never let me down once in my life," she snapped. "It hasn't broken down in all the eight years I've had it."

"That poor guy," Ellen interjected. "Never did live down getting hustled out of his car by a thirteen year old."

"Damn, you must actually be pretty good."

Jo looked over at Dean, annoyed but not surprised at his assumption that she didn't have the skills to back herself up. "Getting kidnapped and being tied up isn't the only thing I'm good for," she told him, looking up just in time to see Sam returning from his trip to Ash's room.

He was frozen in place, guilt and pain so etched into his features that she could almost feel the same emotions transferring into her. She'd learned from the last time that it didn't do anyone any kind of good if she blamed someone who hadn't been entirely responsible. It hadn't been Sam who'd done those awful things to her.

"I'm sorry," they both said in unison, and Ellen looked between the two confused.

Dean drained the rest of his beer and stood up, trying to relieve the awkwardness the only way he knew how; leaving. "We should head out. Thanks for the beer, Ellen."

"Anytime."

Sensing some time to patch things up, Jo got out of her seat. "I should go too."

Ellen smiled sadly. "Come back soon. And remember what we talked about."

She nodded, the earlier conversation weighing heavy in the back of her mind. "A whole year starting from today?"

"Don't push your luck, Joanna Beth. You got nine months."

Jo smiled wearily, leaning over the bar to give her mother one last hug. "Say bye to Ash for me."

Sam was already out the door but Dean stayed behind, a curious expression telling her he wanted to know what nine months meant. She said her goodbyes with Ellen and walked towards Dean, raising an eyebrow when he held the door open for her.

"What, I can't be a gentleman every once in a while?"

"_You_ can't," she said pointedly, walking out. "What happened to my phone call?"

"I was gonna call, but-"

"It's okay, I wasn't expecting you to."

Dean ran a hand through his hair, looking over at her. "I'll call you this time."

It sounded genuine enough and she let herself pretend it'd happen, smiling slightly. A girl could dream, couldn't she? She didn't respond, just inclining her head in a slight nod which he caught and returned. They stopped when they got near her car and a strange awkwardness descended upon them. Jo realised she hadn't used this time to apologise to Sam, but she hoped he wouldn't think anything bad of her.

"I'll see you around, Dean."

"Take care, Jo."

He started to walk away but she grabbed his arm, not sure why until he turned back with questioning eyes. She gazed at his lips a second too long and leaned in, pressing her own against them. He tensed and his hand was on her shoulder, gently pushing her away from him. Pain began to shoot through her chest and she stepped away from him quickly.

"I should go," she whispered, feeling tears sting the corners of her eyes at his rejection.

Jo hurried the last few feet to her car and dug her keys out of her pocket to open her door, desperate to get away and forget anything had happened. She'd messed up for just a second of selfishness and now he definitely wouldn't call. He was Dean Winchester; getting him to talk about his feelings would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

And then he spoke.

"Jo, wait."

She paused, her hand gripping the edge of the door a little harder than usual. "What?"

There was nothing; a thick silence filled with words that wanted to be said but wouldn't. Jo didn't look back as she got in the car and closed the door behind her, the car keys pressed so deeply into her palm that the serrated edges were begin to scratch into her skin.

Sam, or whatever the hell had been in Sam, was right. Dean would never see her as anything but an annoying little sister; someone to protect and to get annoyed at when they didn't do something right. She was tired of everyone seeing her as a little girl or a damsel in distress.

Was it so wrong to have flaws like every other person on the planet?

The slam of his car door brought her back to reality and she found her car keys were already inserted in the ignition. Her hands were on the wheel and she could feel the soft thrum of the engine reverberating through her, but still she couldn't seem to drive.

Her eyes drifted over to their car, a small blossom of hope forming in her chest, but it'd already gone. It was enough to make her hit the gas and speed away, too fast to see the shadow quickly flit across her rear-view mirror.

The drive home was long and torturous. Not many cars on the road meant she could let her mind drift, still troubled by her actions at the roadhouse. She'd always harboured a crush on Dean but never enough to do anything without a solid sign that he wanted it too. Everything she'd been doing recently had felt so automatic and she was scared that her brain would automatically need to kiss Dean.

She'd heard sometimes that rape victims would try to reclaim their sexuality, but she thought it was stupid to count herself in that category when the demon in Sam had stopped before it could go too far. And she'd always liked Dean; maybe it was just a natural way of saying thanks. Saying thanks for what, she had no idea.

Her attention was swayed suddenly when a long, curved set of claws came out of nowhere towards her neck. "Holy mother of God!" She yelled, swerving the car and crashing it into a tree. The attacker was flung backwards and she ducked her head just in the time, the claws embedding themselves in her seat where her head had been just seconds earlier.

Jo quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and shoved open the door, falling forwards and crawling away, screaming when something touched her foot. She was prepared for demon hunts, she could do them no problem, but supernatural beings hanging out in her backseat like an urban legend? That was so not fair. The large being lumbered after her foot again and she threw her hand back to grab her gun from the waistband of her jeans. The thing twisted her onto her back and she gasped when she saw it; it was a wolf walking on its hind legs like a human.

"Oh my god," she breathed, too distracted to stop it when it grabbed her legs and began to drag her into the woods. She kicked at it but nothing happened and she lifted her gun, shooting it with rocksalt. It let go of her and howled, its large head whipping around and deep yellow eyes narrowing as they focused on her.

For one long moment they stared at each other until, without warning, the beast was gone. She gaped at the empty space. How the hell could it do that? It looked like it'd just vanished, but the slight rustling of far away trees told her that the thing ran faster than she could possibly imagine. A wendigo? No. This had been different than the stories she'd heard. That thing had been...

"A werewolf?" She asked aloud, stunned at her conclusion.

Quickly she scrambled to her feet and ignored the dull aches of the car crash, the burning of her knees from falling to them, and the throb of a headache from that damn loud howl. The front of her car was now flat thanks to the tree and she sighed, nervously checking her entire car out before fishing in the backseat for her cell. There was a ring on the backseat and she took hold of it, looking it over and flipping open her phone to dial the roadhouse.

She'd rather deal with an overprotective mom than the Winchesters right now.

"_Harvelle's_."

"Mom?" She slid down to sit against the side of her car, wincing a little. "I had a little trouble and now I'm stuck on the outskirts of these woods. I don't even-"

"_What in the hell do you mean by a little trouble? Jesus, did you go out hunting in the woods by yourself?_"

"No! There was this _thing_ in my backseat, I don't know hot it got there, but now my car's busted." Jo sighed, looking at her surroundings. "You remember where dad used to take us on those picnics?" She asked, softly.

There was a pause and then: "_Hold tight, sweetie, I know where you are_."

"Thanks, I-"

"_Nine months_!" Ellen yelled before hanging up.

Jo sighed again and put her cell in her pocket, looking down at the ring she'd found in her backseat. It was a thick, silver band which looked way too big to fit on any of her fingers. Part of her brain told her that the ring belonged to the human form of that thing, but how could she not notice it changing in her own backseat?

Whatever it was, she'd find it. She knew along the way she might need help, and that would be awkward and annoying, but this was her case now.

This was her fight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** None of this is mine, nor will it ever be.

**Notes:** I'm sorry for the short wait, my muses weren't co-operating with me. Thank you to everyone who reviewed; I honestly wasn't expecting such a good response, so it's really motivated me to keep writing this.

---

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Jo sighed and pulled the blanket over her head, blocking out the sight of her mother's face. "I'd be better if you left me alone," she snapped. "I'm not gonna suddenly die if you leave the room."

Ellen pursed her lips in annoyance, leaving the room and letting the door slam behind her. Wincing, Jo pressed the threadbare pillow over her head and tried to forget everything that had led her to here; her old room. The attack the night before had spooked Ellen so much that she'd insisted Jo stay and proceeded to treat her like a child with a cold.

She could almost taste the cough syrup from her childhood.

And, of course, Ellen had wasted no time in phoning up Dean and demanding that he and Sam come back and take the case. _Jo's_ case. It pissed her off to no end that even her own mother wouldn't believe in her. So here she was doing what she could only describe as sulking like a little girl. If her mom didn't want her to grow up then she'd be more than happy to remind her of the tantrums small children were capable of.

It didn't help that she was exhausted and her brain wouldn't stop thinking about Dean to let her sleep. She promised herself that she'd ignore him and focus on the case, _her_ case, but a voice deep in the back of her head reminded her that she wasn't very good at keeping promises.

Sleep began to tug at her and the exhaustion was too great to worry about nightmares. Nightmares had been a constant since Sam's episode; always the same and always terrifying. She could only pray her sleep was dreamless as her eyes closed.

---

"Jo, the boys are here."

Jo nodded sleepily, turning over and looking up at her mother with bleary eyes. "...there in a minute."

"Joanna Beth, this ain't no time for a lie in!" Ellen put her hands on her hips, staring her down, the glare on her face enough to make a lion cower in fear.

Used to this kind of wake up call, Jo sighed and heaved herself out of bed. Her leg still ached a little from being yanked on by such a strong creature but she figured it'd pass soon enough. Maybe Ash would have one of his marvellous and magical medicine cures; the kind Ellen despised.

She scowled a little as Ellen gave her an 'I win' smile and pushed passed her into the bar area while running a hand through her hair to make sure she looked semi-decent. Her hair was shorter than it used to be and her curls were carefully straightened out to give her an older appearance. Judging by the tips she made it worked.

"You look like hell," Dean said as soon as he saw her.

"Good morning to you too." Jo walked over to their table and saw the case file spread out across it, her eyes lingering on the wolf sightings. "Did you do this today?"

Sam shook his head, watching her with concerned eyes as she sat down. "It turns out we were working the same case," he explained. "People had been going missing and turning up shredded to pieces near the woods. Ash found a few more missing people close by and we were gonna take a look, but..."

He trailed off and Jo nodded a little. "But Shredder turned up in my car."

Ellen growled from behind them, putting down two beers on the table and a mug of hot chocolate; Jo looked at her annoyed. "I just don't understand how in the hell you didn't see that thing in your backseat. You said it was a wolf, Jo. How do you not see a wolf?"

"I don't know. One minute I was just driving and the next there were, hey!" She paused to slap Dean's hand as he stole one of her marshmallows. "And the next thing I knew, claws were making a beeline for my face."

"Maybe it changed in your backseat," Sam offered. "Ellen said on the phone you thought it was a werewolf."

Dean rifled through the file and pulled out an old drawn picture of a man with a wolf's head swimming naked through a lake. "There was this Roman dude called Pliny the Elder who spun this tale about a man being selected out of his family and taken to Arcadia. He got naked, swam across the lake, and turned into a wolf."

"And there's another," he continued while putting away the drawing. "In Greek mythology they say all you need to transform into a wolf is some human flesh as a snack. So maybe this whole changing into a werewolf thing isn't as painful as all the movies say it is."

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Is this a long and surprisingly smart way of saying you believe me?"

"Don't get smug."

"I'll try." She grinned, picking up a marshmallow to eat. Before she could get it anywhere near her mouth Dean's hand grabbed her wrist suddenly and she shivered a little at the contact. "The marshmallows are mine, Dean."

"You're wearing my ring."

Jo looked down at her hand and noticed the ring from her car. "It's not mine, but it's not yours." She slid it off her thumb and put it next to his, blinking a little at the similarity in shape and size. "Whoa, it's like a copy."

Ellen raised an eyebrow. "This crush of yours has gotten a little out of hand, Jo."

"It's not mine," she repeated with gritted teeth. "The wolf dropped it when he got out the car."

"That sounds kinda stupid." Dean reached over and stole a marshmallow anyway, ignoring her glare. "He's a wolf, why would he be carrying a ring?"

"Maybe it belongs to whoever the wolf was before he got hairy," Sam threw in.

Looking down at the ring, Jo rolled it around between her fingers. "Do you think this is how it changes?" She looked up at Dean. "You said there was a man who took off his clothes and then he changed, right? Well what if this person takes off the ring and then they're a wolf. There was no way they could've picked it back up off my seat because it was too busy trying to eat me."

"Such a smart girl," Ellen said with a grin. "You get your brains from me, of course."

"Mom, go clean down the bar." When she looked up her mother had one eyebrow raised, her expression a warning sign. "I mean, go be beautiful in another part of the saloon?"

Ellen stalked off in a huff, leaving Jo alone with the boys. Dean was busy flicking through all the paper but Sam had his eyes on her, unnerving her slightly with the intensity of his gaze.

"Jo, can I talk to you for a second?"

Dean paused and looked up to watch the exchange while Jo simply managed a weak smile. "Can we wait until all this is over? I'll be a better audience."

"Yeah, sure." He stood up, jabbing a thumb at the backrooms. "I better go talk to Ash and see what he thinks about this whole ring theory."

Sam walked off and Dean sighed, putting everything neatly back into the folders. "I know he isn't gonna hurt you, but when you talk to him I could stand nearby if it'd make you feel safer."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Dean finally left, telling her a little unnecessarily that he needed to pee. Jo was alone with her thoughts and the case file, her fingers reaching out to ever so carefully trace the folder edge. It would be so easy to just take it for herself.

She was so wrapped up in her own plans that she never even noticed Sam walk past, mumbling practiced words under his breath and wringing his hands as he left the roadhouse.

Another minute passed and she picked the file up and got out of her seat; she'd either take it somewhere safe and read it or she'd stash it, her mind wasn't entirely made up yet. But just as she started to walk away from the table all her plans were thwarted.

"Jo!"

Jo looked up guiltily, the files gripped tightly in her hands. "Yeah?"

"Put those down!" Ellen demanded, storming towards her and ripping them away before she had a chance. "I am not letting you take this case. Any case but this one, do you hear me? Leave it to the boys."

"It was in the backseat of _my_ car!" Jo stood up, furious at being undermined once again.

"It was in the backseat of _your_ car because it knew _you_ were too weak to take it on!"

"Wow, I just _love_ having such a supportive mom," Jo said sarcastically, rolling her eyes and trying to walk away from the conversation. "I should've never come home."

"You should've stayed at school." Ellen sighed wearily. "You're gonna get yourself killed one of these days, Jo. Just like him."

Jo froze at the words, her heart starting to beat faster, and she closed her eyes at the memories. She could almost feel the beam digging into her back as she sat there; tied up and helpless.

_My daddy shot your daddy in the head_.

"Jo? You okay?"

She nodded her head weakly and opened her eyes. "I'm fine, mom. Just a little tired."

"Good," Ellen said with a grin. "You can have a nap while Dean and Sam go hunting."

"They're not going now, are they?"

Dean walked back from the bathrooms, as if on cue, and gave them a smirk. "Ladies."

"Are you going after the wolf now?" Jo asked hurriedly, ignoring her mother's glare. "I wanna come with you."

"Uh..." Unsure how to answer, he looked to Ellen for permission. The look he got was less than happy. "Maybe you best stay here and rest up today, Jo. I mean you got knocked about pretty good yesterday."

"Well I feel fine."

"Go back to bed," Ellen barked.

"I feel fine!"

"I better get going," Dean interrupted, looking at them awkwardly. "Just concentrate on getting better, okay?"

Jo met his eyes. "Whatever."

He sighed, walking out and leaving the two Harvelle women alone. Ellen seemed pleased that her daughter was still there but Jo already trying to think up ways of slipping away. As much as she didn't want to be alone with the Winchester boys in the woods, it was the only way she could work on her case.

"I've gotta go bring Ash some food." Putting her wash rag on the bar, Ellen looked over. "This is for your own good, baby girl. Go back to bed."

As soon as she was gone, Jo grabbed her jacket and left the roadhouse, shutting the door quietly. She understood that her mom just wanted to protect her, but she couldn't just lay around all day with nothing but her thoughts. She hated her thoughts.

Dean and Sam hadn't left yet. Sam didn't appear to be by the car, but Dean was. His eyes were narrowed in concentration as he looked over a map. For a few short seconds she allowed herself to check him out.

It didn't matter if she wasn't his biggest fan right now, he was still pretty.

After she was done she walked up to him determinedly. "I'm coming with you," she told him. "It'll remember me."

"Yeah, because we all remember how well it worked out the last time you were bait," he told her sarcastically, putting the map down and digging his car keys out of his pocket.

"Just go back in, you heard your mom."

"Please."

It was barely a whisper but he caught it, looking at her with dark eyes. "Why is this so important to you?"

"Because I know I can do this."

"If this thing is a big as you say it is, then-"

She covered his mouth to stop him from talking and glared at him. "You were younger than me when your father started training you to be a hunter," she spat out. "And I doubt you've been over 6 feet tall all your life, so don't you dare tell me that I can't do this."

He grabbed her hand, pulling it away and glaring back at her. "You've got options," he reminded her.

"I've made my choice."

"It's a stupid choice, Jo. I'm not always gonna be around to save you."

Jo's eyes blazed with anger, her jaw and fists clenching as his words repeated themselves over and over in her mind. "I never asked to be saved," she growled, pushing past him and walking over to Ash's truck.

He'd left the keys in the ignition and she quickly got in, ignoring the sound of Dean calling after her. Angry tears began to spill down her cheeks and she forced them away with shaky hands. She was so tired of everything. The weight on her shoulders was near unbearable, and she knew the only way to make things right would be to prove herself.

She was going to find the wolf, and there was nothing they could say or do to stop her.

---

Almost half an hour had passed and she was lost in the woods.

She sighed, frustrated, and tucked her hair behind her ear to stop it from falling in her eyes. A branch smacked her arm and she yelped, inspecting her skin to find a small cut.

"Just perfect," she said gruffly. "Well done, Jo. You've proved to everyone that you're a moron."

Her cell started to ring and she answered it quickly. "Hello?"

"_Jo, where the hell are you?_"

"Dean? I told you, this is my case. I'm gonna find that thing," she told him, ignoring the fact she needed to find her way out of there first.

"_There isn't time for you to pretend to be a hunter, the wolf was here. It attacked your mom._"

All the breath left her chest and she gripped onto a nearby tree. "What?"

"_Get back here. Now._ "

The line went dead and she dropped the cell onto the hard ground below. If she'd left later, if she'd stayed, then maybe she could've saved her from getting hurt. She couldn't lose both her parents. All thoughts of proving herself, of becoming a real hunter, were all pushed to the back of her brain as she tearfully turned around and stumbled through the trees.

Questions clouded her mind and she barely took in her surroundings as she made her way through the woods. She had no idea if she was going deeper in or if she was nearing civilisation; her thoughts could only focus on her mom and the possibility that she was lying somewhere dying. Jo hated Dean for being so vague about how critical it'd been. Had Ellen died and Dean was sparing her from knowing until she reached the roadhouse?

She tripped on a tree root and fell forward with her hands out. Her palms fell hard on the cold gravel of the road and she looked up to see Ash's truck only a few feet away, the fender glinting from what little of the sun could be seen above.

Wasting no time, she scrambled to her feet and raced to the truck. Everything became automatic; key in ignition, hand on gear, foot on acceleration, and eyes on road. She tore down the road as fast she could in the truck, knowing there would be nothing around for miles. No cop cars or anybody to hit.

After what felt like far too long, the roadhouse stood proudly by the side of the road and she quickly turned and parked. The impala was still in exactly the same place it had been when she left and when she turned her head she could see Ash leaning against the front door.

"You took my truck."

She slammed the door in response, walking up to him. "Where is she?"

"You took my truck," he repeated, and she had the urge to grab him by his party-in-the-back and smack him. "Did you scratch my baby?"

"Ash, this isn't the fucking time!"

His eyes widened and he wordlessly stepped to the side and opened the door for her. "Ain't heard you curse for a damn long time." He grinned toothily. "Sounded real nice."

Jo ignored him and almost ran into the roadhouse, sucking in a breath as she took in the broken tables and bottles that lay around. Sam was cleaning up by the bar but looked up when she walked in, his gaze apologetic.

"She's in her room," he said gently. "She's gonna be fine, Jo, it just might take a little while for her to heal up."

"Thank you." She smiled at him, her first genuine smile since the incident, and ran to the backrooms. Her mother's room was the first door and she wasted no time in pushing it open, choking back a sob when she saw Ellen's broken form lying on her bed. "Oh god."

Ellen shifted, tilting her head towards the noise and smiling weakly. "My baby girl."

"Oh, mom, I'm _so_ sorry." Jo walked over to the bed, perching on the edge and taking Ellen's hand. Her shirt was ripped around the shoulder and a large white bandage covered up everything underneath. There were cuts around her face and she looked sleepy, probably from being pumped full of Ash's magical medicine.

"Don't you apologise," Ellen rasped. "There was no way you could've known."

"I could've stayed."

A small smirk appeared. "You've never been very good at that."

Jo managed a weak smile, brushing away a tear with her hand. "Screw the nine months, and screw school, I'm staying here."

"You're going to school." Ellen's head fell to the side a little and she closed her eyes, her tone becoming sluggish. "M'gonna drag you."

"Mom?"

"Let her sleep."

Jo turned around and found Dean leaning against the door frame, his eyes on hers. She nodded a little and turned to find her mother already asleep. "I love you," she whispered.

Dean walked out the room and Jo followed, closing the door behind her. When it was shut she felt his gaze on her and looked up, his face blurred slightly by the tears in her vision.

"What happened?" She asked him, wrapping her arms around her stomach. "Why did that thing go after her?"

"It wanted the ring back," Sam interrupted. "It saw Ellen holding it and went nuts, but Dean managed to knock him out."

Jo's eyes widened. "He's still here?"

"Woke up and left." Dean sat at the bar and patted the top with a grin at his brother. Sam sighed and walked off to find him a beer while Jo slid into the seat next to him and he continued his story. "We figured it went back to wherever the hell it lives which is when I phoned you and told you to get your ass back here. There was no way you should've been in those woods by yourself, Jo."

"I know, I'm sorry. Everyone was right and I get that now. I have all these options, right? But I never thought that protecting my mom would be one of them, and I couldn't go out there and hunt for a living without knowing she's safe." Jo looked down at the bar, tracing it idly with her fingertips. "I should just stay here and forget about everything."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, don't get too hasty there. I mean don't you wanna kick his hairy ass for hurting your mom?"

"What?"

"He's right." Sam opened the beer he'd brought for Dean and took a swig, enjoying the glare it earned him. "This is your fight now, more than ours. You can't give up now."

"Did I step into the Twilight Zone?" Jo asked, looking at both of them. "Because it sounds like you're asking me to go on a case with you."

"Actually we're asking if we can go on your case," Dean said with a grin. "So what's the verdict?"

Laughing with surprise more than anything else, Jo nodded. "Okay, sure."

Stealing his beer back from his brother, Dean grinned. "Let's go get that son of a bitch!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** None of this is mine, nor will it ever be.

**Notes:** I hate this chapter but it's all my muse would give me. Hopefully some of you will enjoy it more than I do, and I hope it was worth the wait.

---

It felt like hours had passed since they'd entered the woods. Jo's feet ached with the constant trekking and with each branch or tree root she'd tripped over, the more she'd gripped onto her flashlight and felt the dig of hard plastic in her skin. They hadn't even found the werewolf yet and she was feeling her hope fade.

"Dean, we should split up," Sam said suddenly, breaking the tense silence. He raised his flashlight so the beam shone directly into his brother's face and looked at him questioningly. "We'll cover a lot more ground. You've got your cell, right?"

Dean winced at the light and shielded his eyes. "Yeah, now get that thing outta my face."

Nodding, Sam patted his jacket pocket to make sure his cell was safe and looked over at Jo. "Have you got yours?"

"I lost it earlier," she said sheepishly.

"Typical," Dean snorted. "You're coming with me."

She glared at him but didn't say anything, merely grabbing his flashlight and putting her own away. They didn't need to waste battery power. Sam seemed a little disappointed at Dean's lack of hesitation and gave her a look to remind her they still had to talk. She smiled weakly, feeling both glad and guilty that she was going with Dean instead of Sam.

Once they'd split up, Dean led the way and Jo kept close behind, shining the flashlight straight forward so they could see where they were going. It was eerily quiet, not even the rustle of a woodland animal could be heard. Jo was starting to get agitated by the silence and half of her began to wonder if leaving her mother undefended at the roadhouse was a good idea. Ash was there, sure, but there was no way he could fight this wolf.

"Your hand's shaking," Dean said suddenly. "Want me to take the light?"

She kept hold of the light but flexed her fingers. "Sorry. I'm just-"

"I get it; you're worried about your mom. Don't worry, okay? Ellen is one helluva tough cookie. She'll be fine before you know it."

"Yeah," Jo whispered in agreement. She felt warmed by his compassion but couldn't stop the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was this trip to the woods making her mom vulnerable against further attacks? Lethal attacks? She wasn't ready to lose her mom, to become an orphan, it was just a whole level of fucked up she couldn't quite handle.

"Jo, give me the light."

His voice startled her into handing it over without a fuss. The darkness swallowed her up instantly, leaving her blind except for the light which surrounded Dean. Without thinking she reached out and held onto the hem of his jacket so she wouldn't lose him. He tensed for a moment but let her, continuing on his way through the woods.

Dean's ringtone blasted suddenly and he fumbled for his phone, tugging it out of his pocket and flipping it open. "Sammy? We'll be right there." He hung up and grabbed Jo's arm, turning them around. "He saw it. It's heading back towards the road."

"Oh my god, the roadhouse." Jo launched into a run, not even caring that Dean had the flashlight. He ran after her, yelling her name, but she couldn't breathe. If that thing got back before she did...

She slammed straight into Sam's chest, hearing a faint _oof_ before big arms wrapped around her to make sure she didn't fall over. For a second it was comforting and then she realised who was holding her, what he was capable of, and she shoved him away as hard as she could.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled at him, guilt washing over her at the hurt and confusion in his eyes.

"Jo! What's going on? Are you two okay?" Dean skidded to a halt next to her, looking between then two of them. "Guys?"

Jo shook her head, unable to look Sam in the eye. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he mumbled, walking over to the car. "Let's just get back to the roadhouse."

Dean tuned in on the tension between them, enough to keep his mouth shut, and turned off the flashlight. Once they were all in the Impala, he turned on the ignition and hit the accelerator as hard as he knew his baby could take it.

They had a werewolf to stop.

---

It all happened too fast. As soon as they were in the roadhouse everything became a blur of action; Sam was thrown halfway across the room into a table, disappearing in a shower of splinters as the wood split down the middle. Dean grabbed his gun and shot at the beast but it was too quick, snarling as backhanded the older Winchester clear across the bar.

Jo could only watch in horror as the werewolf bounded towards her, it's claws out and ready for attack. It was a huge, black haired, wolf with golden eyes and long strands of saliva dripping from razor sharp teeth. It was the thing of nightmares from this close and she didn't even realise how close until pain shot through her hand and her silver ring dropped to the floor.

And that's when it got a little weird.

Instead of killing or maiming her, like she thought it would, it dropped to the floor and moved over the ring. With the animal distracted like this she could begin to overcome her sudden bout of fear and she looked down at it, her eyes widening as the werewolf howled and started to shake uncontrollably.

It's fur receded into pale skin until a tall, slender, dark-haired and naked man was laying panting at her feet. This she could deal with. She kicked out at his shoulder but he'd recovered fast, grabbing her foot and spinning in the air.

"Stupid girl," he rasped. "I'm stronger."

"You're small," she snarked, nodding towards his uncovered lower half. "Is the big, bad wolf some kind of overcompensation?"

He gave a loud, animalistic growl and jumped to his feet, grabbing her by the throat and pushing her against the wall. A malicious grin spread across thin lips as she struggled to get free of his grasp and he leaned in closer. "I like you," he murmured against her jaw. "I chose you for your firecracker qualities."

"You... you chose me?" Jo managed to wheeze.

"To be my mate." He licked his tongue slowly up her cheek, closing his eyes as if to savour it. "Mm, delicious."

She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of being with him. Even this was enough to make her want shower after shower after shower. "Fuck you," she breathed.

He laughed and squeezed her throat harder. "Now now, Joanna. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth? I bet I know someone else you'd like to use your mouth on." His golden eyes darkened with cruel intentions. "I'll enjoy killing him slowly."

"The ring." She gasped a little as he pushed her further against the wall. "He... he has one."

"The ring makes me a man. When I take it off, I become my true self." He growled softly under his breath but it wasn't threatening. "Tell me, does he ever take it off?"

"No." Jo felt her vision swim and she grabbed at his arm, desperate to be released. She felt his hand loosen a little and sucked in as much breath as she could. "Are you a real man?"

"Of course I am, you idiot. Why?"

She managed a weak smile. "Means I can do this," she told him, seconds before shoving her knee as deep into his crotch as she possibly could. He howled in pain and Jo pushed him away from her, gasping for breath as he released his grip entirely and fell back on the floor.

As soon as he was down she ran towards the bar, climbing over it and barely noticing as glass shards dug into her palms and knees. Dean was barely conscious and blood streaked down from his temple. Jo was amazed he wasn't out cold but she pushed away all thoughts as she gently lifted him into a sitting position.

"Dean? Dean, can you hear me?" He mumbled something incoherent, something that sounded vaguely like 'Sammy', and she carefully stood up and took him with her. "He's okay.

Everyone's okay."

"Werewolf," he mumbled, leaning into her touch as she tenderly stroked his hair. "Gotta... gotta shoot it."

"Shh, he won't be moving for a while."

After a few moments of Dean gaining his energy, she helped him up to his feet and let him put his weight on her. They both looked out at the room but the wolf was gone, and Jo mentally berated herself for not having knocked him out. She knew why she'd done something as stupid as leave him be; Dean's health had been a bigger concern.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I should've secured him, it's my fault."

Dean shook his head a little. "The ring. Did he say anything about the ring?"

"He can only be human while he's wearing it." Jo looked over at him and noticed the worry in his features. "What's wrong?"

"My dad gave me this ring. I don't remember when or why, I only remember he told me never to take it off."

Jo smiled weakly and helped him around to the other side of the bar. "You're not a werewolf, Dean. I mean you've taken the ring off before, right?"

"Where's Sammy?"

His avoidance of the issue made her nervous but she helped him find his brother. Could he really be a werewolf? It seemed so surreal. Dean Winchester was a lot of things but there was no way he could something like that. Was he one?

Jo tried to ignore the small part of her that said yes.

---

Ash had been sent from Ellen's room to inform the boys that they were stay at the roadhouse that night. It was too dark and too dangerous for them to go anywhere else, and if they said no then she would crawl out of bed and bite their ankles real hard. Both Winchester's had been secretly scared by this and decided that maybe it would be best to stay after all.

Ellen had also said, through Ash, that Jo would sleep in her room so Sam and Dean could have separate rooms for once. They could choose between Jo's room or the guest room; Sam had quickly chosen the guest room and disappeared there shortly after, leaving Dean to growl and hope Jo's room wasn't all girly. He had a feeling it might not be but he still didn't want to sleep there.

He'd gone there shortly after Sam had left to sleep. Jo had quietly followed him, wanting to make sure he was alright from earlier, and she watched from the doorway as he wearily shrugged off his beloved leather jacket and sat down on her bed. Jo didn't think she'd ever seen him so incredibly exhausted; the strain of constant battles for his life seemed to be affecting Dean more than he let on.

"You gonna stand there and watch me all night?" He looked up and her breath caught, not realising he'd noticed her. "C'mon, sit down. I won't bite."

"It's okay, you should rest."

Dean smirked, running a weary hand through his hair. "I don't want you around and you won't leave, I _do_ want you around and you can't get away fast enough. What's with that, Jo?"

She smiled faintly, walking into the room she called her own and letting the door close behind her. "Maybe I just like annoying you."

"Is that why you kissed me?"

Instantly she tensed. She hadn't been prepared for him to touch the subject, hadn't even _dreamed_ that he would want to do anything except forget it ever happened. She was like an annoying little sister to him, right?

Jo carefully sat down at the other end of the bed from him and kept her eyes on her lap. "No."

"I care about you, Jo." His admission shocked her enough to look up and their eyes met. "And even I'm not stupid enough to fuck that up with something as meaningless as sex."

"Dean, I-"

"Not to mention," he interrupted, "the fact that your mom would kill me slowly and painfully."

She smiled a little, eager to change the subject. Tentatively reaching out, she took hold of his hand and looked at his ring. "You should take this off."

A flicker of something passed across Dean's face and he shook his head. "No. I won't risk it."

"Dean, there's no way you'll be able to sleep tonight if you don't know, and you need to be alert so we can catch this sick fuck tomorrow." She let go of his hand but her tone softened. "I'll be right next to you, okay? And if you are then I'll knock your hairy ass out before you can even try and bite me."

He smiled weakly at that. "You promise?"

"I promise."

They looked at each other for a moment before both their gazes dropped to his hand. His fingers took hold of the silver band, gently tugging it along until it was completely off.

Nothing could prepare her for what happened next.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** None of this is mine, nor will it ever be.

**Notes:** I apologise for the wait, I apologise for the cliffhanger, and I apologise for this _entire_ chapter, because I'm pretty sure it's gonna be lame and ugh and disappointing. I tried. I really did. Oh and **this chapter contains teh sex** so don't read if you get offended/don't like it.

---

His lips met hers in a bruising kiss, fingers tangling in her hair and bringing her closer to him. As close as he could possibly get her. She responded in kind, giving him instant access when his tongue demanded it and pushing him back on the bed.

It was a kiss of fire, of passion, and was broken only when necessary; any clothing that was thin or flimsy could be ripped straight off. Her underwear barely lasted five seconds under his touch before they were rolling over and he was pinning her down. His lips trailed hot kisses down her skin and she gasped with pleasure, threading her fingers in his hair and cupping the back of his head to keep him close.

When he pushed into her, hard and fast, fireworks exploded in front of her eyes and his mouth covered hers to swallow her moans. She'd never felt anything so intense in her life. All she could was hold onto him, wrapping her slender legs around his waist as he pulled out almost completely and filled her again, picking up a rhythm.

She was aware of nothing but him. She could feel him, smell him, taste him; her senses were on an overload and she didn't even know how much time had passed, if any. White hot heat settled in the pit of her stomach, slowly beginning to uncoil with each thrust and spread up her body. She could feel her climax hurtling towards her and when his hand slid between their bodies it was all over in an instant.

His name slid off her lips and against his; maybe in a whisper, maybe in a scream, she had no way of telling as her orgasm washed over her in seemingly never ending waves. She was only barely aware of his release, of the muffled groan against her neck, the tightened grip on her hip, and the warm heat spreading through her stomach.

The exhaustion of the past couple of days coupled with their work out caught up with both of them quickly. Dean barely had enough time to shift onto his back and tug her close before he was asleep. Jo allowed herself a moment of weakness, moving closer and resting her head in the crook of his neck, her palm sliding over his heart. His heart was beating fast, _so_ fast, but somehow it still lulled her to sleep.

When she woke up later he was gone.

---

Jo sighed with frustration as her hair fell into her eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that hour, her chore of cleaning up the broken glass behind the bar obscured by dirty blonde locks. It wasn't like she could tie it up either, all available hair ties and rubber bands having suddenly decided to disappear on her.

She tucked her hair behind her ear and sat back on her heels, putting the dustpan and brush on the floor. In the past few hours she had managed to right all the upturned tables, take away the broken ones, and clean half the bar. It was the tiny pieces of glass that annoyed her most. They were too small to catch with the brush but just big enough to scrape her skin painfully.

As if she could deal with more pain today.

"Focus," she whispered to herself. "The sooner you get this cleaned up, the better."

The door chose to open at that moment and she tensed. Instead of rising to see who it was, she stayed hidden behind the bar and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Ash's slow, overly confident footsteps arrive from the backroom.

"Alright, boys," Ash drawled. "Where you two been?"

"The motel," she heard a voice say. Sam's voice. "You know, this place has been pretty quiet the past few days. What's up with the lack of patrons?"

"I been turnin' them away, tellin' them we're re-decorating." He snorted. "Was half true. Cinderella's been workin' her cute lil butt off tryin' to get all this shit cleared up."

Jo smiled, ducking her head at Ash's newfound nickname for her. She remembered fond memories of being read fairytales at bedtime, and how the stories had filled her young imagination with so many ideas of what she wanted from life; to be a princess rescued from a handsome price. It was funny how things changed. Now all she wanted was for the handsome prince to stop rescuing her and stop sending her mixed signals while he's at it.

"How's Ellen?" Dean's gruff voice brought her back to reality and she looked up as if expecting him to be leaning over the bar and looking at her.

"She's being difficult as all hell. Won't stop complainin' about not being let out of bed." Ash sighed and she could almost see him shaking his head with exasperation. "They're both as bad as each other, I tell ya."

"We've noticed," Dean said. He paused and then added: "Where's Jo?"

"Behind the bar."

Jo winced at Ash's casual tone, not for the first time cursing his genius brain and observant nature. Trying to keep her breathing natural she slowly stood up and gave them a small wave. "Hey, guys."

Sam smiled at her "Hey, Jo. How's the clean up going?"

"It's pretty much hell," she replied with a smile. The awkward tension between them was starting to shift, bit by bit, and she was grateful that he wasn't pushing the idea of a talk today. She knew they needed to talk but first there was someone else who needed her attention more. "Dean, you were looking for me?"

"Can we talk?"

"Sure." Wiping her hands on her jeans, she stepped over the remaining glass and walked out from behind the bar. "You wanna talk in my room?" She asked, jabbing a thumb towards the backrooms.

He nodded, no trace of emotion on his face, and followed her to her room. She stood awkwardly and folded her arms over her stomach as he shut the door behind him. "Listen, Jo, about last ni-"

"It's okay, Dean." Jo smiled and hoped it didn't look too fake. "You may be a hypocrite, but it's alright. I understand."

"Hypocrite?"

"You told me you should never sleep with me seconds before sleeping with me, Dean."

"Oh." He seemed speechless and it genuinely surprised her. It was like he'd never had a one night stand before; or maybe he'd just never had a one night stand with someone he actually knew. "I'm sorry, Jo. I was just so relieved to know that I wasn't some full moon loving freak, and-"

Once again she interrupted him, holding up her palm as a signal to stop. "It's okay, really. There's other stuff to focus on, like the fact there's a werewolf out on the loose. Let's just leave the mind blowing sex in the past and move on."

It slipped before she could stop it and she looked at him, her mortification growing as a smirk curled his lips. "Mind blowing, huh?"

"Shut up."

"Are we talking brain melting?" At her glare, he raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, just trying to make sure my reputation is still intact."

"If you don't shut up, you'll be worrying about something else staying intact," she half growled. "Now come on, we have a werewolf to catch."

As soon as the words were out her mouth, Ash knocked on the door and poked his head in. "Am I interruptin'?"

"No, Ash, what is it?"

"Mama Harvelle requires a word with her cub."

---

Mama Harvelle's word was actually more of a long string of curses with Jo's name mixed in every now and again. It seemed Sam had filled her in on the werewolf's plan to take her as his mate and now Ellen was livid at the idea of Jo going anywhere near the woods again.

"There ain't no way in Hell your butt is gettin' anywhere near that monster!" Ellen yelled from her bed. She was sitting up with a precariously balanced tray of food in her lap, waving her fork around like a madwoman. "I'm not bein' a grandma to some wolf baby!"

Jo's eyes widened but she kept her mouth shut; Ash had warned her that Ellen's medication was making her a little 'doo-lally' in his words. "Mom, trust me, I have no plans to get taken away by that thing."

"You let those boys go out and kill it and you stay right here."

"No, they need me." Jo hesitated and then added quietly: "They need bait."

Ellen's fork flew across the room and embedded itself in the wall, the handle quivering almost comically. Her eyes darkened with rage and her voice was quiet but dangerous as she spoke. "When the wolf is dead and the case is over, you will go back to school and you will not complain. You will not leave school until you're supposed to and you will _not_ hunt a damn thing. Do I make myself clear?"

She wanted to scream and fight and tell her no, but Jo knew it wouldn't make a difference. Instead she simply nodded and whispered one word. "Yes."

"I love you, Jo. I would die to protect you." Ellen shrugged her good shoulder. "Hell, I nearly did, because you are a beautiful, smart, amazing young woman and you deserve a long and happy life."

Jo could feel the sting of tears in her eyes but she willed them away and kept herself strong. She hadn't cried for a long time and the need for that kind of emotional release was pressing more insistently at her with each situation she found herself in.

"Mom-"

"I love you," Ellen repeated. "And if those boys don't protect you out there, I will kill them."

"Mom, just-"

"Go finish this case."

She knew anything else she had to say would be ignored, so she walked towards the door and gripped the handle. Soon she would be back at school and nowhere near Dean or Sam or even her mother. She'd be studying and taking tests and distracting herself from the blood that ran through her veins; the blood filled with a need to hunt.

"Oh, and Jo?"

Jo turned, confused at her mother's light tone. "Yeah?"

"Next time you have sex with someone; could you not do it in the room next to mine? It's hard to sleep when a bed's squeaking."

"Oh god."

"And tell Dean I want to talk to him."

"Oh _god_."

Ellen smiled sweetly and picked up her carton of juice. "You can go now."

Jo couldn't get out of there fast enough.

---

"You sure you're okay with this?"

Jo, who was standing with her back against a tree in the middle of the woods, looked over at Sam and smiled. "The sooner this wolf goes down, the sooner I'm okay."

"Which translates as quit being such a girl and help me dig," Dean cut in gruffly, leaning on the handle of his shovel. "Come on, Sammy, I'm dying over here!"

Sam sighed and walked over to join his brother, picking up an identical shovel and starting to dig out the hole that was being shaped. Jo kept watch, a mixture of emotions filling her, and hoped their plan wasn't too simple.

"What happens if he sees it in advance?"

"Me and Sammy'll shoot the hell out of him before he can touch you," Dean told her firmly. "You know what to do?"

She put on her best smile. "Look weak and pretty."

A rare smile was shot her way and the Winchester brothers got the rest of the trap done in no time, working on covering it up with the supplies they'd brought from the Roadhouse. Once it looked sold it was go time and Jo was quickly ushered center stage. Dean gave her one last look before darting behind a tree, while Sam rested a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Good luck, Jo," he whispered, following his brother to a close by hiding place.

It felt like hours passed as she stood there, arms wrapped around her stomach in an attempt to stop feeling like something was going to go wrong. Something _always_ went wrong, it was like some unwritten rule.

And then she saw them; deep, golden eyes staring at her intently. The wolf was standing just a few feet away, his mouth partially open to let his tongue hang out and proudly display razor sharp teeth.

She wanted to say something witty and insulting but her mind was blank. When it started to pad forward, all she could do was remember how to breathe and hope to god that it fell in the trap like a good little doggy.

It stopped, sniffed the ground, and growled.

He knew.

Jo fought the urge to roll her eyes at Dean's so-called foolproof plan and quickly reached for the gun in her waistband, freezing when the wolf growled at her actions and broke into a run along the solid ground.

"Calling all Winchesters, please get your asses over here!" She yelled, clicking off her safety and aiming. The wolf leapt into the air, fangs bared and front paws ready to knock her off her feet.

**BANG!**

The wolf's body began to fall as if in slow motion. Fur rained down from his body as his coat rapidly shed itself and when he hit the ground, he was nothing but a naked man with a rivulet of blood running down the center of his face and unseeing golden eyes. Jo slowly stood at his side and gently kicked him to make sure he was really gone.

"Nice shot."

Dean nodded at the compliment, pushing his gun into the back of his jeans. "Let's get this son of a bitch buried."

Both Sam and Jo joined him in lifting up the body and dropping him none too gently in the hole they'd originally dug for a trap but now would be a grave. Jo realised suddenly that she didn't even know what this man's name had been, only that he been nothing less than a monster.

"Oh," she said suddenly, looking over at Dean. "My mom wants to talk to you."

"About what?" He didn't seem too concerned, picking up his shovel and starting to fill in the hole. "You did tell her you were coming with us, right?"

"Yeah, it's about that other thing."

Sam raised his eyebrows but didn't say anything, busying himself with shovelling dirt into the hole while Jo inwardly winced and hoped he hadn't been another involuntary audience member. The last thing she needed was more to avoid him about.

The news was getting through to Dean a little slower and he looked up, curious. "What other thing?"

"You _know_," she said with a faint blush, feeling like some foolish teenager all over again. At least this time it got through and his eyes widened as he gripped onto the shovel handle like his life depended on it.

"Oh god."

She nodded sympathetically. "You wanna bury him slower?"

"No, let's just get this over with. It'll give you and Sammy a chance to talk, anyway."

Jo scowled at him but quickly smiled when Sam looked over at her hopefully. Once again she felt guilty for wanting to ignore it and she gave in, giving him a small nod. "Sure, that'd be great."

It wasn't going to be great and she knew it. It would be painful and awkward and either break her relationship with Sam or strengthen it, and she didn't know which one freaked her out more. She'd never really been too close with anyone except her mom, not since the Winchesters had walked into her life, and the thought of losing either of them made her stomach twist into all sorts of odd shapes.

The woods were silent, save for the faint sound of soil sliding off metal, and Sam and Dean both worked quickly to fill in the makeshift grave. Once it was done, the trio walked away in silence and towards the Impala.

As Dean unlocked the car, Jo suddenly realised that this had been her last hunt and she hadn't even gotten to kill the bad guy; a Winchester had, like always.

For some reason she was okay with that.


End file.
